Birthday weekend

I'm not one of those types who spends the entire month celebrating their day of birth. If my birthday lands on a week day, I'll celebrate the whole week. Since it landed on a Sunday, I shortened the celebration to just 5 days.

Thursday, September 19

My students surprised me with birthday balloons and pie; marionberry pie. They knew about my strong aversion to cake, though I have a strong liking for tart tastes especially berries. The pie was lit with only 10 candles; 37 candles would've just burned through the crust.

Friday, September 20
Pampered myself with a hair appointment to touch up my roots and a pedicure followed. Later, I picked up my dad from the airport.

Saturday, September 21

I dragged my dad to the vintage expo and surprisingly, he enjoyed himself. He's more into antiques and not much into the fashion aspect of vintage shopping, but he certainly could appreciate the vintage attire as they reminded him of his dearly departed mother (sigh...I miss my grandma). I didn't find anything at the expo. Most of the attire was mid-century. I already have plenty of 1940s-1950s dresses. I'm on the hunt for more 1920s-1930s. (Here's hoping the Black Coutour Ball or Alameda Vintage Fashion Faire will provide good finds.)

Sunday, September 22 - Birthday is here!!!!!

After 11 long years, my birthday FINALLY landed on a Sunday. I had always made a promise to myself that one day, I would attend a 49er home game ON my birthday. The last time I went to a Niner game on my birthday was way back in 1985...and it was in Los Angeles...when they beat the Raiders (lots of changes to the NFL since then). I've been to plenty of Niner home games, but to go on your birthday would make the tailgating that much better. I spent the whole day at Candlestick tailgating, talking with fellow Faithfuls including one who shared my birthdate and enjoying the game. Unfortunately, the day did not end well. My Niners got their butts kicked. What's worse, seeing the "fans" leave early in the 4th quarter. Real fans stay til the end. I didn't leave my seat until the Niners had retreated to the locker room at game's end. Win or lose, I always support my team.

Later in the evening, my dad and I sat in my living room watching ESPN highlights of other NFL games. He kept staring at one of my posters until he finally asked, "Does that dome exist?" He was referring to the picture of the Cocoanut Grove at Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk. I was surprised that he had never been to Santa Cruz.  Since I took Monday off from work, I told him that we could take a cruise along Cabrillo Highway and spend the day in Santa Cruz.

Monday, September 23

My dad and I woke just before dawn; we're early risers. There wasn't a cloud in the sky, so I knew it would be a perfect day for a drive along the coast. My dad was in awe of coastal views, the abundance of greenery, gentle rolling hills and deep valleys. We made a few brief stops along the way. We stopped at Pescadero, Pigeon Point and Davenport.

Davenport was an interesting place. A tiny city with a population of about 100. We stopped for breakfast at one the restaurants where we made small talk with a few of the locals. After eating, we walked about the town admiring the ocean views and picturesque setting of St. Vincent de Paul Catholic Church. 

We reached Santa Cruz around 10am and walked about the wharf, the boardwalk, and downtown. We drove around stopping at antique shops and vintage boutiques. We didn't buy anything, but the browsing is always enjoyable.

It seemed as though my dad was scouting the area more so than visiting it. My parents plan to move to the Bay Area in a few years and have now added Santa Cruz to their short list of possible cities to buy property. It would be nice to have my parents closer to home. Although that would leave my brother alone in Los Angeles. He's perfectly okay with that, though. He says he can always hop on a plane for the short flight to the bay.

Overall, it was great birthday. Despite the 49er loss, the weekend was still enjoyable and I got to spend some time with my dad; I missed having my mom with me, but she felt that my dad needed some father/daughter time which was long overdue.

Vintage finds! Weekend of September 13

There was an estate sale not too far from my home. I was looking for some women's accessories since the sale was advertised as mostly 1940s with some items from before and after this decade. There was a stack of 78s of which I bought 25 records. They were in the same room where they had early 20th century chairs and sofas. One of them caught my eye and it was a steal at $30. I had to have it. It needs some minor repair, but the wood is pristine and sturdy. The fabric needs some cleaning, and the cushions can use some padding. I'm looking forward to this restoration project. Funny that I'm buying so much vintage/antique furniture for the house I've yet to buy. It'll happen soon. I've already got the pre-approval; I just need to find the right house for me and my furniture.

Can't repeat the past? Why, of course you can!

3/4 of our dance troupe take over Gatsby Afternoon

Each year, the Art Deco Society of California has their annual Gatsby Picnic at the famed Dunsmuir Historic Estate in Oakland, CA. It is an afternoon transported back to the Jazz Age when music and entertainment was at its apex. It is an afternoon to enjoy the days when ladies and gentlemen dressed in their Sunday bests, feasted on homemade picnic goodies, enjoyed a foxtrot or charleston on the dance floor and interacted with myriad patrons scattered across the lawn.

I chose to wear my vintage chiffon gown; a light fabric to keep the body cool on a steaming hot day. My picnic items consisted of vegan sandwiches, vegan potato salad and sliced watermelon. I met with my fellow chorus girls and established a seating area where we set our blankets/sheets and emptied our picnic baskets of sandwiches, deserts, fruit and mixed drinks. We sat enjoying friendly chatter while a live band played period appropriate jazz music. There was an endless parade of patrons walking about the grounds toasting their champagne glasses and making small talk before venturing off to the next picnic area. 

Later, the DecoBelles performed their number and sad to say, I was less than impressed. Here we are kicking our butts with our rigorous routines, and theirs was just a number prancing about in circles. 

I walked about admiring the vintage fashion and auto show all the while grasping my iPhone for the latest 49er game updates. I am a 49er Faithful and it pained me to miss the home opener. Following this entry are the pictures I snapped of the picnic. Would I do this again? Perhaps, but to shell out $50 just to sit on a lawn where we have to provide our own food seems a bit ridiculous. Though I definitely enjoyed the experience with my dance troupe. We'll see what I decide next year.

The Best Kind of Vintage...

...is vintage acquired from a friend. It's pretty tough to sell clothing online mainly because of the inability to try on the piece before buying it. That is why most of us vintage fashionistas prefer to venture the biennial Vintage Expo at the Concourse and the biennial Vintage Fashion Faire at Alameda's O Club. The monthly Alameda Antique Faire is decent enough but it can be hit or miss.

My dance troupe currently has 12 members of which half of us are avid swing dancers with an eclectic vintage wardrobe. We're all of varying sizes. Three of us are statuesque with different shapes. I'm right in the middle at size 12. The smaller of us is a 10 and the larger is 18. The other three ladies are petites but also of varying sizes from slender to voluptuous. Our dance practices are extremely strenuous, and as a result, many of us are trimming down. So what to do with our larger dresses? We are literally handing them down. I've already given away a few vintage dresses to my larger counterpart. My smaller counterpart surprised me with two dresses on Sunday. One of them is a 1950s and the other a 1940s daydress.

Do we mind not having cash in hand? Not at all. Each of us gets our use from the outfits and prefer that our clothes are going to a good home where the wearer appreciates quality vintage clothing and its history. Plus, it's good vintage karma.

Ciao for now!

Crazy Daisy

I kept a watchful eye on Daisy the entire time I was out camping this weekend. When you're out being one with nature, expect to run into some wildlife. All I encountered were squirrels, sea lions and dolphins; all docile creatures. The major irony of the weekend: Daisy was attacked by a raccoon...at home. I always have the sliding door open for Daisy to do her business in the middle of the night. Well, I will have to stop that practice after waking up to her charging out of the room and hearing her screams...not barks, but screams. 

A raccoon had entered the house and Daisy, being the good guard dog that she is, tried to stand her ground. This raccoon was not having it. As soon as I heard the commotion, I jumped out of bed and ran out to the yard. I saw the raccoon all over Daisy, and I startled it long enough for her to get out of its reach. Daisy escaped but the raccoon gave chase. It literally looked and sounded like a monster from my perspective. I was able to run up and grab her; I held her in my arms and just stood still staring at the creature. I didn't know what to do next. In fact, I wasn't thinking at all. I must've been running on a mixture of adrenaline and instinct. I figured if I stayed still, it would retreat. It did. The raccoon climbed over the fence, and it was all over. The neighbors asked if everything was okay. I was in a state of shock, but still coherent. Daisy was bleeding from her hind legs, so I searched for a a 24 hour emergency vet and found NorCal Veterinary Emergency hospital. 

I spent about 90 minutes waiting for her to get examined and cleaned up. She got a rabies booster since she was due for her next shot in 6 months. No major injuries; just flesh wounds. Poor thing, but I'm glad she's going to be okay. The vet said she was a sweet little thing and very cooperative.

She's a tough little one. Now she's got her battle scars.

I survived a raccoon attack, and all I got was this cone of shame.

September Getaway: Sunset State Beach

When I went to Santa Cruz a few months ago, I kicked myself for not bringing my surfboard. Before I left, I researched areas that would be good for longboard surfing. I read a lot about Sunset Beach and noted the campsite nearby. I'm truly an outdoorsy lady. I enjoy camping, hiking, surfing and gardening. 

So this weekend, I packed my gear and drove down to Sunset Beach. Instead of taking Highway 1, I opted to take I 280 to SR 17 with its winding roads through the Santa Cruz mountains. It was a beautiful drive (though it can be a hazardous road for inexperienced drivers; lost of cars swerving on the road.)

After nearly a 2 hour drive, I arrived at the campsite. It wasn't like any other sites I've been to; usually I camp in the mountains. This one was surrounded by strawberry fields. It had some nice hiking trails with great views of the ocean.

When I heard about the campsite, I was hoping it was the type where you can pitch your tent right on the beach (like San Felipe, Mex). The campsite was restricted to the hills with a 1 minute drive to the beach parking lot. Though I could've walked the distance down a steep ramp and stairs, I wasn't about to do it with a 20lb surfboard.

It had been about a year since I last surfed and it definitely showed. I was sluggish. I had a hard time catching a wave, but eventually I caught quite a few. I later went for a swim and just waded in the water. I always found it peaceful floating in the ocean where it's unusually quiet save for the seagulls flying above en masse. There was a sea lion that swam past a few yards away. Off in the distance were a few dolphins frolicking about. 

Before sunset, I dried off and sat atop the lifeguard tower and stared off into the horizon. I sat for an hour watching the sun go down.

When I went back to camp, every spot was occupied. People were out having bonfires and sharing funny stories. I lay in my tent listening to different chatters before I drifted off to sleep.

When I woke this morning, my entire body was sore. Yes, the year absence from surfing caught up with me. My arms and legs are the most sore at the moment; not good when you have weekly, strenuous rehearsals for the dance troupe. I'll need to take it easy, but I definitely need to start surfing more often especially now that the coastal peninsula is reaching its Indian summer. 

Next getaway: Bodega Bay

Vintage Finds! Labor Day Weekend 2013

I went back to the Southland for Labor Day weekend. It was a full schedule of 2 weekend festivals. Art Deco Festival in Long Beach by day and Camp Hollywood Swing Dance Festival in Los Angeles by night.

The Art Deco festival had a vintage bizarre where overpriced Blue Moon Vintage dominated the Queen Mary deck. Seriously?A cotton 50s daydress for $175? And it has stains? That seller is nuts. I refuse to buy from them no matter how nice their inventory is. There were several smaller businesses with decent prices but very few dresses caught my eye. I happened upon a 1930s cotton day dress for $80 and in great condition; no stains, no tears, no missing buttons. I snagged it.

Unfortunately, I found nothing at Camp Hollywood. Most of the stock was reproduction clothing made from cheap material (yet sold at a high price). No thanks. The only reproduction I will buy is shoes and it must come from reputable sellers. The best ones are American Duchess and Remix Shoes; both specialize in designs specifically for period re-enactments and film productions. Remix had a booth at Camp Hollywood with a nice display of 1930s reproduction shoes. I bought two pair.

It was definitely a nice shopping spree in an otherwise lackluster vintage market. I'm looking forward to the Vintage Expo in a few weeks.

New ink

It's been a while since my last tattoo session (about 6 months). I had several ideas in mind, but there was a point when I thought, "you know, I just want to walk into a shop and say, 'that one.'" One of my heavily tattooed friends said that there is something quite empowering about picking a random image especially when all the other work is more thought out.

So that's what I did. I called up my best friend, Wendy, and told her, "I'll be in town; lets call up Bud and get inked together." It was sort of a bonding moment since we've never hung out at a tattoo shop. We're usually just relaxing at her house and shooting the breeze.

When we met up she commented on how nervous she gets before getting inked. I'm pretty heavily tattooed but she has far more than me, and I was surprised by her admission. I told her not to worry about it. The guys at the shop provide loads of quality entertainment and it'll take our minds off the pain.

I was right; the topics these guys come up with in conversation: Boardwalk Empire, male cosmetic surgery such as botox for the balls, tattoos from hell stories (some of their clients are pretty sick), vasectomies, practical jokes, pet peeves with tattoo reality shows, etc. It is never a dull moment which most definitely takes your mind of the pain.

I have a pretty high tolerance of pain so having my inner arm tattooed was a breeze; though I hear for others, it's pretty painful. Yes, there is some amount of pain but nothing that I couldn't handle. There were moments when I nearly dozed off only to have Wendy crack jokes and making me laugh.

Me and Tattoo Boppin' Bud

Wendy's turn

American Vintage Tattoo

 

My finished product